Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

तमालोक्य यमोऽश्रांतं श्रांतंस्तांश्च हतान्स्वकान् । आजगाम समुद्यम्य दंडं महिषवाहनः

Transliteration

tamālokya yamo'śrāṃtaṃ śrāṃtaṃstāṃśca hatānsvakān | ājagāma samudyamya daṃḍaṃ mahiṣavāhanaḥ

Translation

Le voyant infatigable, tandis que ses propres serviteurs étaient épuisés et abattus, Yama—monté sur un buffle—s’avança en levant son bâton de châtiment.

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आलोक्य: having seen
• आलोक्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-लोक् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund) — ‘having seen’

• यमः: Yama
• यमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अश्रान्तम्: unwearied
• अश्रान्तम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-श्रान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘तम्’)

• श्रान्तान्: wearied
• श्रान्तान्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘तान्/स्वकान्’)

• तान्: those
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• हतान्: slain
• हतान्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (Past passive participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘स्वकान्’)

• स्वकान्: his own (men)
• स्वकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• आजगाम: came
• आजगाम: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• समुद्यम्य: having lifted
• समुद्यम्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-उद्-यम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund) — ‘having raised/brandished’

• दण्डम्: staff, rod
• दण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• महिष-वाहनः: the one whose mount is a buffalo
• महिष-वाहनः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिष (प्रातिपदिक) + वाहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: ‘महिषस्य वाहनम्’), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; यमस्य विशेषण-नाम

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced: Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narration to sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yama, stern and unwearied in authority, rides a dark buffalo into the fray, lifting his staff as his slain attendants lie scattered; the air thickens with dread and law-like inevitability.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Kiṅkaras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Yama symbolizes impartial dharma; when disorder escalates, the cosmic enforcer himself intervenes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is mentioned.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.